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Troubleshooting Your Laser Printer

The first step when trouble-shooting a laser printer is to try to isolate the problem. Oftentimes, just cleaning the interior and exterior of the printer can be helpful. Do not submerge the printer in water. You may use a damp cloth to gently wipe down the outside of the printer, or better yet, use a cleaner specifically designed for electronics. To clean any dirt and debris from the inside of the printer, spray with a can of condensed air, making sure that there is a clear path for the debris to exit. Use a clean lint free cloth to continue removing the loosened debris if needed.

All laser printers generate very high internal temperatures and have the potential to overheat. To avoid this, a thermal fuse is incorporated in these printers to prevent them from overheating. If this fuse is faulty, the printer may get overheated and damaged or the fuse may signal the printer to stop printing even if the printer has not yet overheated.

If your laser printer prints dark spots, the cartridge may have excess toner. You need to run blank pages through the printer to absorb the extra toner.

If your printer prints blank pages, the toner may have either dried or almost empty in the cartridge. Shake the cartridge to free up any dried toner inside. If there is no toner, replace the cartridge. Ensure that the sealant tape has been removed from the cartridge before placing it in the printer.

For print-quality issues, most times, the printer’s default settings will provide the best print quality and print speed for most jobs, but if you have special or unusual print quality needs, you can often customize the print quality settings. Make sure the Resolution Enhancement technology (REt) is On. When this feature is enabled, it refines the print quality of characters by smoothing out jagged edge. Choose Off if graphics, particularly scanned images, are not printing clearly. If a printer develops streaked print jobs, the roller or drum may need to be replaced.

One of the most common laser printer malfunctions is the paper jam. Most jams occur when the paper path is blocked or there may be a worn roller. Sometimes, you may think you have removed the jammed paper, only to find the printer is still not functioning properly, because of an overlooked small piece of paper that was not completely removed from the previous jam. Many times, the paper itself is the cause of the jam. Make sure you have properly installed the paper. Sometimes, improperly stored paper develops a curl before it is placed in the paper tray - this often leads to paper jams.

And have you ever experienced that printed piece of gibberish, that seems to endlessly go on and on? It can be caused by a number of things ranging from using an incorrect printer driver, or printing postscript codes to a printer that does not support it, or in some cases the printer cables may actually be loose. Check your cables, re-start your printer, or reboot the computer and the problem should be resolved.

Following these simple guidelines when errors occur with your laser printer can save you countless hours of aggravation, and allow you to have trouble-free use of your laser printer. Here is a place to browse through if you are interested in additional information on computer training and technology.

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